This distinctive autobiographical picture book features a Chinese immigrant family living in Guatemala City. Told from the point of view of their youngest daughter, the story centers on all the activity in and around the family's busy store on a typical day. Aspects of the family's Chinese heritage are interwoven with cultural details relating to their new home in Guatemala; the brightly colored Chinese thread the family sells, for example, is popular with Mayan weavers, who take a bus from their village far away to shop in the Chinese store. Carling's detailed watercolor paintings give a good sense of life in on a bustling city street in Central America, as well as the specifics of little Amelia's family life. (Ages 4-8)

A new Dial storyteller recreates her childhood in Guatemala

From the clip, clop of the milkman's mule in early morning to the clic, clac of her father's abacus at night, a young girl tells about a day in her family's store and home in Guatemala City. Every day customers of many heritages -- speaking Spanish, Chinese, and Mayan -- come to buy cloth, buttons, and thread in colors like "parrot green" and "mango yellow", and dozens of other items. While the girl's parents and their friends talk about their hometown in China from where they emigrated many years ago, she and her siblings play games on the rooftop terrace, float paper boats, and make shadow puppets under the glow of flashlights. When the store closes, the girl dances to celebrate her day.